Holy Rosary: Which Mysteries, When

Love's Heart is Sacred

When to say the Sunday and Special Day Meditations of the Rosary

O Holy Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the World, you never forsake or despise anyone; look upon us with an eye of pity, and beg of your beloved Son the pardon of all our sins; that we who now devoutly celebrate your Immaculate Conception may receive the reward of eternal joy through the mercy of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Whom you, pure Virgin, did bring into the world, and Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit in perfect Trinity, lives and reigns, one God, world without end. Amen.

The Mysteries of the Rosary are as follows:

J	The Joyful Mysteries
		The Annunciation; The Visitation; The Birth of Jesus; The Presentation; The Finding in the Temple
		These are the Mysteries of Mary's Joy and Jesus' birth and childhood.
L	The Luminous Mysteries (added October 16, 2002)
		The Baptism; The Wedding at Cana; The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God; The Transfiguration; The Institution of the Eucharist
		These are the Priestly Mysteries of Christ
S	The Sorrowful Mysteries
		The Agony in the Garden; The Scourging at the Pillar; The Crowning with Thorns; The Bearing of the Cross; The Crucifixion
		These are the Mysteries of Christ's suffering and death.
G	The Glorious Mysteries
		The Resurrection; The Ascension; The Descent of the Holy Spirit; The Assumption; The Coronation
		These are the Mysteries of Christ's victory over death and Mary's special place as the Holy Mother.

Normally you pray the:

Joyful Mystery on Monday and Thursday

Sorrowful Mystery on Tuesday and Friday

Glorious Mystery on Wednesday and Saturday

Sunday's Mystery depends on the church's liturgical year as do some special days.

The Joyful Mysteries may be said on Sundays during the seasons of Advent and Christmas.

During the season of Lent, the Sorrowful Mysteries may be said on Sundays.

There are some days (Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Ascension, All Saints' Day, Christmas) which do not follow the day of the week's mystery, but the day celebrated mystery.

2016

January Sundays and Special Days:

1 Friday Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, Joyful Mysteries ;

6 Wednesday, Epiphany (coming of the Wise Men), Joyful Mysteries

3 Second Sunday of Christmas, Joyful Mysteries;

10 Sunday, the Baptism of the Lord, Luminous Mysteries;

17, 24, 31 Sundays in Ordinary Time, Glorious Mysteries.

February Sundays and Special Days:

2 Tuesday, The Presentation of the Lord, Joyful Mysteries

7 Sunday in Ordinary Time, Glorious Mysteries;

10 Ash Wednesday, Sorrowful Mystery

17, 21, 28, Sundays in Lent, Sorrowful Mysteries

March Sundays and Special Days:

6, 13, Sundays in Lent, Sorrowful Mysteries

20: Palm Sunday, Sorrowful Mysteries or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

21-24: Holy Week, Sorrowful Mysteries or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Tri-duum

24 Maundy Thursday, If desired, the Luminous Mysteries.

25 Good Friday,

Sorrowful Mysteries, Chaplet of Divine Mercy; The Seven Sorrows Chaplet (Servite Rosary, or the Stations of the Cross.

27: Alleluia! He is Risen! Easter Sunday, Glorious Mysteries

Easter Week,27-02 April, Glorious Mysteries, (Or the Franciscan Crown)

April Sundays:

3 Divine Mercy Sunday, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

4 Monday The Annunciation of our Lord, Joyful Mysteries,

10, 17, 24, Sundays in Easter, Glorious Mysteries

May Sundays and Special Days:

1 Sunday in Easter, Glorious Mysteries;

5 Thursday The Ascension of the Lord, Ascension Day, Glorious Mysteries;

8: Sunday in Easter, Glorious Mysteries or Peace Chaplet if you wish

8-15 Preparation for Pentecost;

11: Pentecost Sunday (Coming of the Holy Spirit), Glorious Mysteries;

22 Most Holy Trinity, Glorious Mysteries;

26 Thursday Corpus Christi, Luminous Mysteries

29 Oridinary Sunday Glorious Mysteries,

31 The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joyful Mysteries

June Sundays:

5, 12, 19, 26, Ordinary Time, Glorious Mysteries

July Sundays:

3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Ordiinary Sundays, Glorious Mysteries

August Sundays:

6, Saturday Transfiguration of our Lord, Luminous Myteries, ;

7, 14, Ordinary Sundays, Glorious Mysteries;

15 Monday, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Glorious Mysteries;

21, 28; Ordinary Sundays, Glorious Mysteries;

September Sundays:

4. 11, 18, 25, 28; Ordinary Sundays, Glorious Mysteries;

October Sundays:

2, 9, 16, 23: Ordinary Sundays, Glorious Mysteries;

Friday 7, Our Lady of the Rosary. Perhaps as a special treat, the Complete Rosary?

November Sundays and Special Days:

1:Tuesday All Saints Day, Glorious Mysteries;

2 Wednesday, All Souls, Sorrowful Myteries or Glorious Mysteries, Praying for our own loved ones, and the Souls of all the faithful departed.

6, 13, 20 (Christ the King!) Ordinary Sundays, Glorious Mysteries;

27 First Sunday of Advent, Sorrowful Mysteries;

December Sundays and Special Days:

4, Sunday in Advent, Joyful Mysteries for the Mystery of the Incarnation, or Sorrowful Mysteries for the Coming of the Day of the Lord,

Thursday 8 The Immaculate Conception, Joyful or Glorious Mysteries,

14, 21: Sundays in Advent, Joyful Mysteries for the Christ Child, Sorrowful for the Second Coming,

25: Thursday, The Nativity of our Lord, Joyful Mysteries

30; The Holy Family, Joyful Mysteries,

The rosary is a private devotion and Catholics are free to pray any of the four sets of mysteries (joyful, luminous, sorrowful, glorious) on any day they wish. It is however customary that each day of the week is devoted to one set of the mysteries. In John Paul II's apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae he describes the custom this way:

According to this ordering of the weekly rosary, no provision is made for the change of the liturgical season; but, if you wish, you are free to set aside Sundays mysteries for the current liturgical season. If so, the Sunday order would appear this way:

Sundays of Advent and Christmas: Joyful
Sundays of Lent and Holy Week: Sorrowful
Sundays of Ordinary Time: Luminous
Sundays of Easter: Glorious

It is still traditional to pray the Glorious mysteries everyday from Easter Sunday until the following Sunday.

Source: Catholic Answers.com

Without the Luminous Mysteries

Advent to Sunday before Septuagesima: The Joyful Mysteries
Septuagesima to Palm Sunday: The Sorrowful Mysteries
Easter to Sunday before Advent: The Glorious Mysteries

There are huge numbers of regional traditions relating the rosary but the basic formula is always the same. One interesting variant however is a German one. In Germany the mystery being prayed is incorporated into every Hail Mary as follows. Take the standard Hail Mary and at the end of the line:

"blesséd are thou amongst women and blesséd is the fruit of thy womb Jesus"
("Du bist gebenedeit unter den Frauen und gebenedeit ist die Frucht Deines Leibes Jesu")

add on what Jesus did in the Mystery you are praying.

e.g. "blesséd are thou amongst women and blesséd is the fruit of thy womb Jesus, who rose from the dead."
("Du bist gebenedeit unter den Frauen und gebenedeit ist die Frucht Deines Leibes Jesu, der von den Toten auferstanden ist.")

This tradition is a particular favorite of Pope John Paul II's because it underlines the emphasis of the Rosary on Jesus rather than on Mary.

To meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary with these words in one's head

is like praying with the accompaniment of glorious music...

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary

Given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan

Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the rosary, shall receive signal graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the rosary.
The rosary shall be a powerful armour against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the rosary, shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the rosary.
The faithful children of the rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the rosary.
All those who propagate the holy rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
All who recite the rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only son Jesus Christ.
Devotion of my rosary is a great sign of predestination.

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